On Sunday, after his Iran side defeated Uruguay 1-0 in a friendly, Sardar Azmoun took to Instagram and wrote: "Because of the restrictive laws placed on us in the national team I am not supposed to speak out... I know I risk being sent home, but I can't take it anymore! You will never be able to erase this from your conscience. Shame on you! You kill easily. Long live Iranian women!"
The reference was clear. Azmoun, like many Iranians, was incensed by the police response to the protests that have rocked Iran -- from the metropolis of Teheran to the smallest rural villages -- following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who was held after being apprehended by the so-called "morality police.